Actually, Canada has a bigger interest. According to a newspaper article, this baby is 3rd in line for the throne (Charles --> William --> Royal baby). Since whoever is monarch in England automatically becomes the monarch of Canada, this baby could eventually become the "King of Canada" someday.

Originally Posted by golden411

rvi5, surely Mrs. P was making exactly the same point, although she and you have chosen different words to express it.

Yes! My reference to the Commonwealth is the fact that the Royal Family is very much tied to Canadian life for better than worse, though when I wrote my post, I wasn't explicitly thinking of the royalty line.

Piper Gilles sat "on the shelf" for two years after her former partner Zach Donohue ditched her for someone else (not his current partner Madison Hubbell). There were other vacancies in dance in the US during that time, but she couldn't get another American partner.

Piper's maternal grandmother IS Canadian, but her mother only recently applied for Canadian citizenship, and did it only to help her daughter's application along.

I do think it is presumptuous of Piper to think she is entitled to Canadian citizenship so she can go to Sochi, when it is by no means a done deal that G/P will get that third Canadian berth. Their performance at 2013 Worlds (18th) did nothing to help their chances, and that was before Paul broke his ankle. In the Gilles/Poirier partnership, Poirier is the one with the past glory, and Gilles the wannabe. When it comes to talent, the couple is by no means of the same caliber. Even in 2018, they may not be Canadian #1. Weaver/Poje seems poised to take over that spot after V/M retire.

Does anyone know which American skaters Piper tried out with during her hiatus from competition?

Yes, I mentioned Poirier's injury in my post above. And the reason I made note of Gilles/Poirier's absence from the show is the possible(??) implication that his injury might(??) have been more severe than Kaitlyn Weaver's was.

IIRC, Poirier's injury occurred very early in May. So the show is about three months post-injury.

Weaver injured her ankle on Dec 14 and had surgery on Dec 18.
Three months later, on Mar 14, Weaver/Poje placed sixth in the SD at London Worlds -- with a personal best score.

Yes, I mentioned Poirier's injury in my post above. And the reason I made note of Gilles/Poirier's absence from the show is the possible(??) implication that his injury might(??) have been more severe than Kaitlyn Weaver's.

IIRC, Poirier's injury occurred very early in May. So the show is about three months post-injury.

Weaver injured her ankle on Dec 14 and had surgery on Dec 18.
Three months later, on Mar 14, Weaver/Poje placed sixth in the SD at London Worlds -- with a personal best score.

According to Sun Valley's website, G/P still are scheduled to perform in an ice show there later in August. Hope Poirier will be ready to skate then.

That's a very good point. I hope that Paul is on the same recovery schedule as Kaitlyn, and the reason they did not appear is just that a show is not worth the risk to them, particularly as I suspect they do not get paid for a club show. The Sun Valley gig is a better test, since performers get paid for it. But I fear you are right, and Paul is not completely recovered, or they would have done the show.